General Assembly | FFXnow

Published February 25, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated February 26, 2026 at 12:50AM

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell presents his Fairfax County casino bill to the House General Laws Committee on Feb. 24, 2026 (via Virginia House of Delegates)

A bill to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino is advancing through the Virginia House of Delegates after undergoing some significant changes from the version passed by the state Senate earlier this month.

The House’s General Laws Committee voted 12-7 yesterday (Tuesday) to send Senate Bill 756, patroned by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34), to the chamber’s appropriations committee. All four delegates representing portions of Fairfax County, including committee chair Del. Paul Krizek (D-16), opposed advancing the legislation.

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SCOOP: Draft study estimates tax potential of Fairfax County casino development

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 20, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated February 20, 2026 at 2:37PM

A lobbying flyer shared with state lawmakers in January 2025 includes a rendering of Comstock's envisioned casino development in Tysons (via Access Point Public Affairs)

Fairfax County could benefit economically from a casino-anchored development, but the numbers might be more modest than previously shared projections, an internal review by the county suggests.

A Fairfax County casino would produce an estimated $313.6 million in gaming revenue, delivering $62.1 million in local and state taxes, the county’s Department of Management and Budget said in a summary of a feasibility study it commissioned from the consultant MuniCap.

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Judge blocks Virginia Democrats’ redistricting referendum two weeks before early voting

By Associated Press

Published February 20, 2026 at 8:30AM

The Virginia State Capitol building (file photo)

By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia court on Thursday effectively blocked Democrats’ planned April voter referendum to redraw the state’s congressional maps, another potentially devastating blow to the party’s effort to pick up four more U.S. House seats in the national redistricting battle.

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State could punt decision on N. Va. transit funding plan, but Fairfax leaders not giving up yet

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 18, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated February 18, 2026 at 2:30PM

Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Fairfax County officials sent mixed messages last Friday (Feb. 13) over General Assembly progress, or lack of it, toward dedicated transit funding for Northern Virginia.

Legislation to establish dedicated transit funding is unlikely to be acted on during the month remaining in the 2026 legislative session, county staff reported at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Legislative Committee.

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Virginia House passes Fairfax County-supported bill targeting excessively noisy vehicles

By Scott McCaffrey and Angela Woolsey

Published February 17, 2026 at 11:45AM

Del. Rip Sullivan presents his vehicle noise monitoring bill before the House innovations subcommittee on Feb. 5, 2026 (via Virginia House of Delegates)

Fairfax County officials are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for state legislation that would let certain localities use monitoring equipment to fine owners of excessively noisy vehicles.

House Bill 55, patroned for a second year by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6), passed the House of Delegates yesterday (Tuesday) on a 64-34 vote after a third reading.

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Virginia redistricting election will go forward while court considers appeal

By Associated Press

Published February 13, 2026 at 2:15PM

FILE - The state and U.S. flags fly over the Virginia State Capitol as the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly gets underway, Jan. 10, 2024, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.

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Fairfax County casino bill heads to full Senate without site limits

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 11, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated February 12, 2026 at 4:05PM

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell presents his Fairfax County casino bill to the Senate Finance and Appropriations resources subcommittee on Feb. 10, 2026 (via Senate of Virginia/YouTube)

For a second year in a row, the Virginia Senate will consider legislation that could pave the way for a casino in Fairfax County.

Senate Bill 756, championed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34), was advanced on a 10-5 vote yesterday (Tuesday) by the chamber’s Finance and Appropriations Committee with a key revision — criteria that limited potential casino sites to Tysons have now been dropped.

News

State Senate special election coming tomorrow for some eastern Fairfax County voters

By Jared Serre

Published February 9, 2026 at 3:45PM

State Sen. Adam Ebbin speaks at the No Kings Rally at Market Square in Old Town, June 14, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Some voters in Fairfax County will head to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday) with a state Senate seat on the ballot.

Though the majority of Virginia’s 39th Senate district is in Alexandria and Arlington, approximately 16,000 registered voters reside in the Fairfax County portion that starts at Seven Corners and continues southeast through Bailey’s Crossroads.

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Proposed redistricting map splits Fairfax County into five Congressional districts

By Jared Serre

Published February 6, 2026 at 11:00AM

Del. Don Scott, speaker of the House of Delegates, at the inauguration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Jan. 17, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Virginia Democrats released their long-awaited redistricting proposal yesterday (Thursday) in a bid to expand the party’s presence in Congress while countering similar gerrymandering attempts by Republicans.

Party leaders rolled out a map that’s projected to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 Congressional districts, and as expected, much of that comes at the expense of Northern Virginia — the bluest part of the state.

Countywide

Va. Senate bills that would’ve repealed traffic cameras target fees instead

By Jared Serre

Published February 5, 2026 at 11:45AM

A red light camera in the City of Fairfax (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Two bills that would have dramatically changed local governments’ ability to enforce traffic laws have changed course despite bipartisan support in Richmond.

S.B. 297 and S.B. 306, authored by state Sen. Mark J. Peake (R-8), would have repealed the authority of localities to install speed-monitoring and red light cameras, respectively. But as of Monday (Feb. 2), the possibility of a ban has been stripped from both bills.